Hi friends! I hope you are having a good summer. We sure are–lots of quality time with Bode, impromptu get togethers with friends, and a few weekends away mixed into the bunch. Time flies when you are having fun. 🙂 I love swapping product recommendations with friends and want to share with you some of the things I have been digging lately. You have been warned–some of these items may become highly addictive (speaking from experience). 🙂
Balanced Bites Podcast – I may have recommended this Podcast before but I am obsessed with it! The hosts are Diane Sanfilippo (she is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author of Practical Paleo and 21 Day Sugar Detox) and Liz Wolfe (she is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and author of Eat the Yolks and the Purely Primal Skincare Guide). They interview experts in the medical, health, and nutrition fields as well as answer fan questions. I mostly enjoy the open banter they have with one another and their guests. It reminds me of conversations I have with some of my friends. Plus, a lot of the topics that get discussed are things that come up with my clients so it has been a great resource and reference for me. This Podcast is great for nutrition and health junkies.
The Dude Diet Cookbook – This is such a fun cookbook! It was recommended to me by Cody’s cousin-in-law, Angie. The recipes are basically healthier takes on “dude food”–think nachos, wings, and macaroni and cheese. (Ok, more than dudes like these types of foods!) I have at least half of the recipes bookmarked to cook. We recently made the lasagna and both Cody and I loved it. If you face the battle of trying to cook healthy for a family that likes notoriously “unhealthy food” you will love this cookbook!
Simple Mills Almond Flour Bread – Gah! I am obsessed this bread! My friend Katy (and fellow wellness coach) introduced me to it awhile back. As you might expect, it has a slight nutty taste to it. I love that it has a clean ingredient list and is free of all grains, soy, dairy, gums, and emulsifiers. It does take a little extra effort because you bake it yourself. You guys, it’s worth it and so easy–you just add water, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and eggs to the mix and bake for 45-60 minutes–boom. Plus, it smells so good while it is baking. The pieces are a little bit smaller than traditional bread so it may throw you for a loop if you are planning to make a sandwich with it. I like to use it for avocado toast, on the side of eggs and breakfast meat, or spread peanut butter on top of it. It’s a little bit pricier than regular bread so I order mine from Amazon in a pack of three to save a little dough. You have to spend to save, right? (At least that is what I tell Cody!)
Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo – Let’s talk about my new BF. I can’t stop with the chipotle mayo. I put it on everything–egg sandwiches, burgers, and chicken salad to name a few things. Aside from the fact that it’s delicious, it is made with avocado oil (hello healthy fats) and is free of gluten, dairy, inflammatory oils, and sugar. I get giddy just thinking about it. The entire Primal Kitchen line of condiments and dressings are WAY healthier than what you generally find on the grocery store shelves. The $10 price tag can be a bit intimidating but it’s completely worth the splurge. If you find it on sale, stock up on a few jars–they go quick! The last time I bought it, it was on sale for around $6 at Whole Foods.
Squeeze Pouches – What mom doesn’t love squeeze pouches? They are the bomb.com on days when cutting up “real food” seems like too much work. They are great for on the go and it doesn’t hurt that Bode gobbles them right up. I have been pleased with the variety of organic options on the market. I am not partial to a specific brand–we have tried Earth’s Best, HappyTot, Ella’s, Plum, Little Journey, and more. Little Journey is Aldi’s brand (it is organic) and the pouches are only .79 (much less expensive than other brands). At our local Aldi’s, the variety is somewhat limited but I always stock up when I am there.
Larabar Maple Cinnamon Crunchy Nut and Seed Bar – This is a relatively new product on the market. I have tried all of the Larabar Crunchy Nut and Seed Bar flavors and maple cinnamon is my favorite. I like that the first two ingredients are almonds and chia seeds, meaning that is what the product is mostly made of. I am a big fan of the fact that they use natural sweeteners (honey and maple syrup) and that there is only 6 grams of sugar per bar. This is much lower than other Larabar lines. This has been my go-to bar lately to throw in my purse for when I need a quick snack.
Coconut Oil – I have been digging on coconut oil in the kitchen for a long time but it is now a staple in my bathroom too. I have gotten into the habit of using it at least every other or every third day as my body moisturizer. I love being able to use such a simple, natural product on my skin. I will say that it can leave me a tad oily which is why I don’t use it every day. I generally use it when I have a little extra time to let the oil soak in instead of when I am trying to hurry to get out of the door. It smells so good too! I made sure to let Cody know that there were separate coconut oil jars for the bathroom and for the kitchen–he wouldn’t approve of me swapping one jar back and forth. Lol. When I don’t use coconut oil, I use Alaffia Everyday Coconut Hydrating Lotion.
Blackberry Cucumber La Croix – La Croix has done it again. The blackberry cucumber flavor is SO good! Has anyone else tried it? To me, it almost feels like you are drinking a cocktail. Perfect for that 3:00 pm afternoon mom mocktail time.
Coconut Bliss Caramel Ice Cream Bars – Well, who wouldn’t be digging these? I like to keep a clean dessert option on hand for when Cody or I want something sweet. These caught my eye because of the clean ingredient list. Also, they only have 16 grams of sugar per bar which is pretty low compared to other ice cream bar options. Cody was slightly hesitant since they are coconut-based but he loved them! We both agreed that they were just as, if not better than, a “regular” ice cream bar. He did eat two of the three that come in the box before I got my hands on one so next time I will either have to buy two boxes or strategically hide them underneath the frozen vegetables in the freezer.
Meant to Eat – I was excited to read this book because the author, Lindsay, is also a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is a cousin to two of my good friends. I was super impressed with the book and think it is a great guide on how to have a healthy and balanced relationship with food. I am glad to have this book as a reference and to be able to recommend it to clients. A candidate for this book would be someone who struggles with yo-yo dieting, feels deep guilt when they eat “bad” foods, or who determines their worth based on their weight or body shape. If this is you, I encourage you to dig into this book, take your time with it, and follow the writing and reflecting prompts that Lindsay gives. You are sure to find success.
Primal Kitchen Restaurant – Primal Kitchen is a new restaurant that recently opened in the Granger, IN area. They are all organic and source their food locally when possible. They do not use any processed oils, gluten, or dairy. I think it is pretty awesome that the community I live in supports and wants restaurants like this in our area. I have tried a variety of things on their menu–pancakes, chicken and waffles, eggs and breakfast meat, a smoothie, and an omelette. I have enjoyed everything so far and like having a convenient place to stop and get a quick, healthy meal on the go. I am excited to try more of their lunch and dinner items. A few of my other favorite organic restaurants in the area include Simply Pressed Juice and Moringa Tree.
If you are interested in checking out some of my other favorite products, you may enjoy this post: www.dailydoseofrabbitfood.com/2017/02/products-i-freaking-love/
What about you? Any products you haven’t been able to get enough of lately? Share them with me in the comments section below–I can’t wait to read about them!
